Access to Clean Water

Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services.

Latest available data

This page uses the latest available World Bank observation (2024). Country-level datasets often lag the current calendar year because they depend on official reporting and validation.

World Bank 2024

What is the global average Access to Clean Water?

The global average Access to Clean Water is 70.83 % of population as of 2024. Gibraltar has the highest at 100 % of population, while Central African Republic has the lowest at 6.22 % of population. Data covers 148 countries. Source: World Bank.

World Average
70.83 % of population
Highest
Gibraltar
100 % of population
Lowest
Central African Republic
6.22 % of population
Countries with Data
148
2024

Top Countries

#1 Gibraltar 100 % of population
#2 Hong Kong 100 % of population
#3 Hungary 100 % of population
#4 Iceland 100 % of population
#5 Kuwait 100 % of population

Regional Averages

Europe
94.41 % of population
46 country
Americas
72.79 % of population
20 country
Asia
72.09 % of population
39 country
Oceania
60 % of population
14 country
Africa
35.64 % of population
29 country

Country Rankings

View full rankings
Access to Clean Water — Country Rankings (2024)
# Country Value
1 Gibraltar 100 % of population
2 Hong Kong 100 % of population
3 Hungary 100 % of population
4 Iceland 100 % of population
5 Kuwait 100 % of population
6 Liechtenstein 100 % of population
7 Monaco 100 % of population
8 Macau 100 % of population
9 New Zealand 100 % of population
10 Singapore 100 % of population
11 San Marino 100 % of population
12 Netherlands 99.96 % of population
13 Denmark 99.92 % of population
14 Germany 99.92 % of population
15 Isle of Man 99.91 % of population
16 Malta 99.83 % of population
17 United Kingdom 99.82 % of population
18 Sweden 99.76 % of population
19 Cyprus 99.72 % of population
20 France 99.71 % of population
21 Luxembourg 99.65 % of population
22 Finland 99.65 % of population
23 Slovenia 99.57 % of population
24 Slovakia 99.57 % of population
25 Belgium 99.55 % of population
26 Israel 99.46 % of population
27 Spain 99.46 % of population
28 South Korea 99.28 % of population
29 Norway 99.06 % of population
30 Estonia 98.94 % of population
31 Puerto Rico 98.94 % of population
32 Bahrain 98.9 % of population
33 Austria 98.89 % of population
34 Japan 98.73 % of population
35 United States Virgin Islands 98.68 % of population
36 United Arab Emirates 98.64 % of population
37 Czechia 98.14 % of population
38 Chile 97.82 % of population
39 United States 97.57 % of population
40 Latvia 97.01 % of population
41 Canada 96.89 % of population
42 New Caledonia 96.87 % of population
43 Italy 96.76 % of population
44 Lithuania 96.73 % of population
45 Switzerland 96.7 % of population
46 Greece 96.69 % of population
47 Saint Martin 96.63 % of population
48 Bulgaria 96.21 % of population
49 Ireland 96.13 % of population
50 Qatar 95.35 % of population
51 Portugal 95.22 % of population
52 Turkmenistan 94.85 % of population
53 Malaysia 94.7 % of population
54 Iran 94.41 % of population
55 Guam 94 % of population
56 Belarus 93.06 % of population
57 Kazakhstan 91.55 % of population
58 Oman 91.1 % of population
59 Palau 90.78 % of population
60 Andorra 90.64 % of population
61 American Samoa 90.54 % of population
62 French Polynesia 90.45 % of population
63 Jordan 88.95 % of population
64 Poland 88.68 % of population
65 Brazil 88.62 % of population
66 Ukraine 87.87 % of population
67 Croatia 87.27 % of population
68 Bosnia and Herzegovina 86.4 % of population
69 Montenegro 85.5 % of population
70 Romania 82.18 % of population
71 Armenia 82.07 % of population
72 Uzbekistan 81.93 % of population
73 Northern Mariana Islands 81.45 % of population
74 North Macedonia 80.79 % of population
75 Palestine 80.64 % of population
76 Costa Rica 80.5 % of population
77 Morocco 79.98 % of population
78 Egypt 78.94 % of population
79 India 76.44 % of population
80 Russia 76.26 % of population
81 Moldova 75.82 % of population
82 Serbia 74.97 % of population
83 Colombia 74.34 % of population
84 Kyrgyzstan 73.88 % of population
85 Albania 70.79 % of population
86 Georgia 70.53 % of population
87 Ecuador 69.89 % of population
88 Trinidad and Tobago 69.37 % of population
89 Algeria 69.03 % of population
90 South Africa 68.01 % of population
91 Guyana 67.17 % of population
92 Bhutan 65.59 % of population
93 Honduras 65.52 % of population
94 Tajikistan 65.11 % of population
95 Tunisia 64.98 % of population
96 Seychelles 64.7 % of population
97 Paraguay 64.36 % of population
98 Botswana 63.29 % of population
99 Samoa 62.5 % of population
100 Iraq 59.83 % of population
101 Myanmar 59.72 % of population
102 Bangladesh 59.13 % of population
103 Vietnam 58.58 % of population
104 Azerbaijan 57.81 % of population
105 Suriname 55.85 % of population
106 Peru 49.43 % of population
107 Guatemala 48.79 % of population
108 Philippines 48.48 % of population
109 Gambia 48.18 % of population
110 Lebanon 47.7 % of population
111 Turks and Caicos Islands 47.05 % of population
112 Sri Lanka 46.93 % of population
113 Dominican Republic 45.33 % of population
114 Pakistan 44.97 % of population
115 Mongolia 43.36 % of population
116 Mexico 42.97 % of population
117 Ghana 42.94 % of population
118 Fiji 42.11 % of population
119 Eswatini 38.22 % of population
120 São Tomé and Príncipe 36.68 % of population
121 Ivory Coast 36.45 % of population
122 Laos 35.19 % of population
123 Tanzania 31.33 % of population
124 Lesotho 31.32 % of population
125 Afghanistan 30.55 % of population
126 Indonesia 30.46 % of population
127 Cambodia 29.99 % of population
128 Nigeria 29.9 % of population
129 Tonga 29.6 % of population
130 Mozambique 27.54 % of population
131 Senegal 27.19 % of population
132 Zimbabwe 25.46 % of population
133 Guinea-Bissau 23.99 % of population
134 Madagascar 22.06 % of population
135 Togo 20.52 % of population
136 Vanuatu 19.2 % of population
137 Nauru 18.66 % of population
138 Malawi 18.18 % of population
139 Uganda 18.1 % of population
140 Benin 17.7 % of population
141 Nepal 16.49 % of population
142 Kiribati 15.09 % of population
143 Ethiopia 13.55 % of population
144 DR Congo 11.87 % of population
145 Sierra Leone 10.9 % of population
146 Tuvalu 8.72 % of population
147 Chad 6.34 % of population
148 Central African Republic 6.22 % of population

Definition

Access to clean water measures the percentage of the population using safely managed drinking water services. This standard requires an improved water source located on-premises, available when needed, and free from fecal or chemical contamination. It serves as a primary indicator for public health, sanitation, and Sustainable Development Goal progress across the globe.

How it is calculated

This indicator is calculated using data from household surveys and administrative records analyzed by the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. It evaluates water sources based on three criteria: accessibility on-site, availability during the day, and verified quality through testing for contaminants. The final percentage reflects the share of residents meeting all these safety requirements.

Interpretation

High percentages indicate advanced infrastructure and a lower risk of waterborne illnesses like cholera or dysentery. A good value is as close to 100% as possible, signifying universal service. Low values highlight the need for urgent investment in basic utilities and public health protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Access to clean water is defined as the percentage of people using safely managed drinking water services. These services must provide water from an improved source, such as piped water or protected wells, located directly on-premises. The water must also be available whenever needed and remain free from dangerous fecal and chemical contaminants.

Gibraltar maintains the highest access to clean water, providing safely managed drinking water services to 100% of its population. Recent data indicates that this territory has achieved universal coverage through comprehensive infrastructure. This ensures that every resident has immediate access to water that meets all safety, availability, and quality standards for domestic use.

The Central African Republic has the lowest access to clean water among monitored nations, at approximately 6.2%. This low percentage indicates significant challenges in infrastructure and public health. In such regions, the vast majority of the population lacks reliable access to safe, on-premises water sources that are free from contamination.

Calculations for this indicator rely on household surveys and national census data coordinated by the Joint Monitoring Programme. Researchers track the type of water source used and verify if it is located on-premises. Additionally, they assess whether water is available when required and conduct testing to ensure it does not contain harmful bacteria.

About this data
Source
World Bank SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS
Definition
Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services.
Coverage
Data for 148 countries (2024)
Limitations
Data may lag 1-2 years for some countries. Coverage varies by indicator.